Multiple station game board



March 18, 1952 J. W. MCFERRAN MULTIPLE STATION GAME BOARD Filed DeC.

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Patented Mar. 18, 1952 MULTIPLE STATION GAME BOARD Joe W. McFerran, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 31, 1949, Serial No. 136,379

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a ball game playable by a plurality of players.

For purposes of illustration the invention is embodied in a form in which a plurality of players up to four or groups thereof up to four may play in succession or simultaneously.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a game board wherein marbles or balls may be utilized by the several players, each players marbles having the same color, the colors for different players being of contrasting character.

Herein the game board is shown polygonal and is provided with a number of sides equal to the number of playing stations whereby if desired that number of players may play their balls simultaneously if desired. The chief feature of the present invention resides in providing a downwardly dished playing saucer, the inclination being comparatively slight, Which saucer centrally includes a spent ball receiving well, the saucer further having ball trapping seats suitably disposed for different play value purposes, and a plurality of ball projecting devices discharging to the saucer.

A further feature of the invention resides in a ball storage well for each device.

Another feature resides in forming each of the seats and the spent ball Well as an opening extending through the board.

Still another feature of the invention residesV in disposing each device such that its longitudinal axis is substantially transverse to the including edge if the board be polygonally outlined whereby the player of that device faces the board.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a square game board embodying the invention, certain circular dotted lines indicating playable balls.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings I indicates a polygonally outlined board of appreciable thickness as shown and herein illustrated as of square outline, each side edge or face being indicated at I I. Centrally disposed therein is the spent ball well I2 herein shown in the form of a hole through the board.

Concentricstherewith is the downwardly and slightly inclined saucer-like playing area I3 having, if desired, contrasting colored concentric circular bands I4. Herein in cach band are-a plurality of ball trapping seats I5. These are spaced apart equally. Herein the number of seats in each band happens to be that in any other band but this is not necessary. Preferably, however, the adjacent seats in adjacent bands are alternated or staggered as shown. Preferably, also each seat comprises a hole through the board and of a lesser diameter than that of the ball so that seated balls are partially exposed and When engaged with sufficient force by another ball may be unseated and dislodged. When the holes are of a diameter slightly greater than that of the balls, the seated balls cannot be dislodged but do constitute, as before, abutments against which subsequently played balls contact and carom orf in an unpredictable manner. Here is introduced the luck element of the game.

Feeding tangentially into the saucer are the ball discharge channels I6. Each, because the board is square and each is disposed transverse to its contiguous edge II, is substantially parallel to the adjacent side II. The discharge junction is indicated at Il. The edge end of each channel is closed by member I8 having bore I9 therethrough.

Slidably mounted in each bore in an elongated rod 20. The outer and edge exposed end mounts the finger knob 2|. The channel exposed end has coil spring 22 concentrically disposed thereon. A washer 23 retains the spring upon the rod and under slight compression. The washer is held to the rod by pin or cotter key 24. The free end 25 of said rod constitutes the ball impact portion. The rod is prevented from pulling into the channel by knob 2I.

Herein, adjacent each ball projecting device thus described, there is formed in the board I0, a storage well 26 for playable balls. 'As hereinbefore suggested various types of ball games may be played on this board.

The balls may be played simultaneously or I successively as desired. Each ball played, in the absence of contact with a previously seated ball, is first transferred from well 26 to channel I6, see lower right hand corner of Fig. l, then the knob 2l is pulled back as far as desired. This further loads the spring which at opposite ends bears upon washer 23 and closure I8. When the knob is released the ball is projected out of channel I6 into saucer I3 and travels round and round the same initially hugging the arcuate portions I3a. As the travelling force is expended the ball works downwardly toward the center of the board. In so doing should that force be substantially spent the ball may seat in one of the outer ring seats thus scoring a greater value than.

if it seated in a next lower valued ring seat or an innermost ring seat.

As shown, sixteen balls may be provided for the four players and since there are thirty seats there are more seats than balls although this is not essential.

While the foregoing constitutes a detailed description of the preferred form of the invention same is to be considered merely an illustrative example thereof, the scope of theY invention being set forth in the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A ball game board comprising a base of appreciable thicknessand regular polygon outline, the upper face of said base having a centrally located inwardly inclined and circular playing surface centrally terminating in a spent ball well, said well extending through said base, said playing surface being defined by an annular wall, at least two series of annularly spaced playing ball seats, the seats of each series being Vconcentric to each other and being formed through said' base in parallel relation to each other and to said well, a plurality of ball projecting devices disposed in spaced relation about the periphery ofsaid board, and a plurality of ball discharging channels communicating with said playing surface and being substantially tangential to said annular wall, said ball projecting devices being longitudinally disposed in said respective channels.

JOE W. MCFERRAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1 UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 193,427 Spence July 24, 1877 449.140 Scott et al. Mar. 31, 1891 15 550,803 Post Dec. 3, 1895 672,999 Burtis Apr. 30, 1901 1,005,859 Lynn Oct. 17, 1911 1,944,997 Phillips et al. Jan. 30, 1934 1,961,147 Harris June 5, 1934 20 1,994,936 Atkinson 7.--- Mar. 19, 1935 2,492,462 Caesar v Dec. 27, 1949 2,511,090 Zimmerman June 13, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 25 Number Country Date 417,154 Germany Aug. 7, 1925 

